In an effort to help new teachers and to give a glimpse of what happens in the classroom, we are going to highlight one teacher’s experiences in a charter school. Recently, the Philadelphia School District has decided to provide many of its schools with condom dispensers due to what they call an epidemic. An impetus […]
Posted inOpinion, Teacher Branding, The Unemployed Teacher
New Directions: An Unemployed Teacher Looks at the Future and Creates a New Personal Brand
I spent most of the first year after my layoff just wanting to go back. Back to the job I had so passionately loved. Back to the routine that was so familiar. Back to the students with whom I felt so at home with. Back to the career that had been moving along at a […]
Posted inFeatured, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy
Reading Comprehension Strategies For Elementary Teachers
One of the most crucial skills that all students need to be able to steadily advance in school  is reading comprehension. So many skills are dependent on how well a student can not only read, but comprehend what they are reading. Everyday we continually expose students to math word problems, graphs, science and social studies […]
Posted inFeatured, Middle School, Special Education, Uncategorized
Do I Have To Go To The IEP Meeting? I’m Not a Special Education Teacher
By: Melanie Taylor Am I required to attend IEP meetings if I am not a Special Education teacher? I’ve been asked that more than once as the Special Education teacher, and especially as a Resource Specialist, also known as Special Academic Instructor.The answer in our state is that at least one general education teacher who has […]
Posted inFrom the Front Lines, Stellar Educator of the Week
Kathy B. – Our Stellar Educator of the Week!
Name: Kathy B. School: Baltimore County Public Schools (MD) Years Teaching: 9-10 years Specialty: English/ Language Arts Congratulations to Kathy B., our Stellar Educator of the Week! Kathy was nominated by one of her students, who could not seem to find enough wonderful things to say about her! We agree that Kathy is a […]
Posted inFeatured, From the Front Lines, Middle School, Opinion
In Education I Matter (And So Do You)
Second semester, I believe, is the worst semester for teachers. Second semester is the time when we reflect upon first semester and what we did and did not accomplish. We look at what we taught and have left to teach. Second semester is the time for high absenteeism due to illness and all high stakes […]
Posted inFeatured, Instruction & Curriculum, Special Education, Uncategorized
5 Ways to Boost Communication in a Co-Teaching Classroom
Recently I read somewhere that said, “Communication is easy.” I would love to know the world they lived in because communication isn’t easy- at all. Talking is easy; however, communication-which means an exchange or communion with another- requires greater skill. Communication requires us to listen and to speak skillfully, not just talk mindlessly. Communication among co-teachers is […]
Posted inFrom the Front Lines, Literacy, Uncategorized
Whit's Tips on Mentoring to Provide Individual Learning Opportunities
How should schools provide individual learning opportunities and motivation to accelerate learning while following standardized curricula goals aligned with the Common Core? One on one mentoring might be an answer. Whether schools can put together teams of five or a hundred mentors, giving students a half hour of undivided attention makes all the difference in […]